When Mediums Don’t Mix (September 2006)

  Now let’s all review some basics here. As stone professionals, we use something not to grind stone – not tools or diamonds, but a clear liquid without taste or smell.
  We use it to contain and remove fine particles of stone that would otherwise become dust. We also use it to keep our equipment from overheating and wearing out prematurely or even worse, burning the stone.
  OK, it’s water. Now, what does water do to wood and carpet? What will water do to drywall? Could the fine stone dust in our slurry cause damage to paint and wallpaper?
  Water will swell wood, subsequently warping it and causing a really ugly mess. It can also cause mildew and bacteria to grow long after the job is done. Carpet may not warp, but it can stain with the slurry, and retained moisture will start to rot out the floor beneath it – as well as harbor more of that nasty four-letter “M” word (mold).
  Wet drywall decomposes and also promotes the growth of mushrooms. And, yes, fine stone dust can damage certain paints and wallpapers. Stone dust is similar to the sand used in making fine sandpapers; wiping it off of soft paint and wallpapers can leave lasting marks.
  “Why was there not a problem with moisture when they first installed the stone?” you may hear from your customer. Because the only thing done on site is installation; all the other work is performed in a shop that didn’t contain any of the wood, carpet, paint and drywall that makes up our pretty homes and businesses.
  In a customer’s dwelling or place of business, much care needs to be taken to control the water necessary to properly work the stone to its desired finish.
  So what is a restoration expert supposed to do? Wrap it up – literally. You need to protect each and every separate medium in a different way.
  There’s a slogan from another activity entirely – “No Glove, No Love” – that’s apropos for working stone around other building materials . You need to ensure that no water finds its way into another part of the house, or you’ll receive no love (in the form of money) from your customer.
  Kenny Rogers used to say that it’s, “the wood that makes it good.” When it comes to restoration of stone up against wood, it becomes more of a challenge to keep it good.
  You need to ensure that:
  • your diamond tooling won’t sand down the wood if it gets out of control;
  • your equipment won’t dent or scratch if it’s set upon or carried across the wood before or after working the stone; and
  • the water does not get into the wood causing damage.
  Wood presents an interesting problem when it comes to your personal Wetness Protection Act. Most are covered in urethanes or similar coatings; average run-of-the-mill duct tape could peel this plastic crust off, or even leave a sticky residue. “Wood-coating-safe” tapes are usually no more than waxed paper affixed with a little bit of gum to them which would not keep a drop of water out, let alone the monsoon you’re about to inflict.
  Our answer is to use aluminum-fortified tape, specially made to withstand moisture, that has a stronger bond than most duct tape. The secret here is to put the “wood-safe” tape on the surface, and then overlap the aluminum tape onto the weaker tape.
  You need to have the aluminum tape on the stone at least an 1/8” to 1/4”. You’ll also want to push the aluminum tape down into each grout joint; it does no good to only tape the stone surface while water (which follows the path of least resistance) flows through these grooves. This will also prevent you from flattening the floor (in the case of flooring) right up to the edge of the wood.
  You would want to stay back about 6” from the wood with your first cut (de-lipping), allowing a minimum of a 1/2” overlap on each subsequent grit. If done properly, nobody would be able to tell you didn’t flatten right to the edge – and you won’t leave any damaging evidence behind on the wood, either.
  Carpet is a different matter. I don’t have any in my house (except for entrance matting) but my customers almost always do – except, of course, for my favorite 10 percent of my customers that have nothing but stone.
  How do you keep the water out of carpet? After all, duct tape doesn’t do a good job of sticking to carpet, plus it pulls out some of the fibers. Well, you can employ my Space Age, patent-pending invention, “The Carpet Helmet!” (Actually, it’s neither space age nor patent-pending, but it’s a great attention-getter.)
  The Carpet Helmet is just a section of sheet metal with a 90° angle in it to be tucked between the carpet and the stone at the transition strip. By taping the metal to the stone in the same manner as you’d do with aluminum tape and wood (1/8” to 1/4” on the stone and into the joints), you can actually float over the carpet with higher grits (800+).
  You can’t buy this product in stores. You must make it yourself or hire a sheet-metal company to do it for you. If you want to send me money for the plans, go right ahead, but I’ll slip you the secret here:  Take a sheet of metal and bend ¼” of the edge by 90°.
  And, of course, don’t forget protection for more-forgiving surfaces you’ll encounter. I use pre-taped drop sheeting that folds out to 4’; it protects everything.
  Next month, I’ll go into detail as to more ways to protect your customer’s investments and ultimately your bottom line. Until then, keep your stick on the ice.
  Tom McNall is founder and owner of Great Northern Stone Care, a Huron Park, Ontario-based stone-cleaning and -restoration company servicing all of southern Ontario. Tom also offers corporate and private consultation, serves as a trainer for the MIA, and is also on the organization’s board of directors. He’ll present “Mixing Stone with Other Materials” on Nov. 9 and “Flooring Restoration” on Nov. 10 at StonExpo 2007 in Las Vegas.  He can be reached at tom@greatnorthernstone.com